Fading Gray

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Fading Gray

Photograph by Erika Larsen, National Geographic

Horses forever changed life on the Great Plains, and for Native Americans today, they endure as an emblem of tradition and a source of pride, pageantry, and healing. Here, Zoda, whose name means “gray” in Hidatsa, serves in a youth wellness program in North Dakota.

See more pictures from the March 2014 feature story “People of the Horse.”

Arun, this is a different kind of photograph. Intentional in the way it looks,defused not blurred,or out of focus. Just plain different from sharp and crystal clear. Its great we are so diverse in our likes and dislikes, or it would indeed be a boring world. j.e.s.

No one knows where the wind comes from or where it goes. This photo using imagination could be a horse in a storm or fading away in the mist... either way it is as you would like to see it. I like to see it as a horse fading away into the mists of time. To others it would just be a very blurry picture.

@Arun Brahma Without the blur it is just a photo of a white horse and you might actually think it boring. The blur invites mystery, movement, maybe timelessness or whatever else your heart reaches for. If you don't feel it, it's not art to you. Art is always subjective. Where you see just an out of focus photo, I see a magic horse.

@Arun Brahma Unfortunately often time s a flowery story that goes with the photo which has uncommon words helps it to get attention. Look for this pattern yourself in future photos. You may sometimes see a 9-or 10 photo with a poor story and that photo never gets success, and then see a 7 photo with a story that attracts attention to the editors, and then also astounds many viewers who would have otherwise never said anything positive about the succesful photo.

@Arun Brahma I am assuming this effect was intentional on the photographer's part. Using a long exposure to create a ghostly effect, since the story deals with the past cultures of Native Americans which like the horse in this image seems to be fading away. Just a guess though.

To 90% of the population - a photo is either a good photo or a bad photo.This would be classed as a very very bad photo had you wanted a picture sharp photo. Who knows what was in this photographers mind when she submitted this photo... either taking a chance or having her own imagination as to what could happen here with views..... seems that most enjoy the photo with their own ideas of what it should be like. I have tried to change my mindset on how to view a photo and imagination now plays a big role in that. Crazy though it seems it puts a whole new perspective on how you think. Have you ever wondered where the Lord got His imagination from when He created the earth. Who would have imagined how a tree should look like or how a bird should be painted in all its glory and beautiful colours. Makes you think.

I believe in greatness in a lot of peoples photos it is all about seeing it from there perspective on what side of photography they do and there techniques and you cant just be negative about certain peoples photos just because you don't understand there line of work you people really need to start critiquing in the right way instead of just being negative about it give them the positive side of there work and also tell them what they can work on as well.

@Sandra HickmanWhy do people assume that not negative - but not positive either - comments don't know a dime about photography? I do. And I still think that the same idea could have been applied with better results.